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Sunday, 29 September 2013

Reasons why Fran leaves it as long as possible before getting her hair trimmed

I sent the following short 'Rant' article to The Oldie magazine, which is one of those publications that has lots of adverts in it for Tena pads and stairlifts. You know the ones. And if you don't, you will, one day.

Anyway, they sent it straight back, saying it wasn't quite right for them, and they wished me luck with placing it elsewhere.

So, rather than suffer further rejection, I am taking the easy way out, and placing it here, which is called 'making your own luck'. It doesn't pay as well, but it means you get instant publication.

Why are ladies' hairdressers so young?

Next year, I’m booking a holiday in Ibiza. Do I know what Ibiza's like? No. Do
I really want to go? Not at all. In fact, I want a holiday in Ibiza like I
want to bathe in a tub of mealworm.

But I have to do something
so I don’t feel so Biblically old in the hair salon while a twelve year old
cuts my greying hair and asks, ‘Doing anything nice for your holiday?’ I can see her reaction in the mirror when I admit
I’ve booked a country cottage in Ambleside with Gentle Rentals and ‘can’t wait for the cream teas’. Her face drops (though at least, for her,
that’s temporary) and she says, ‘That sounds lovely’. What she means is, ‘I’d rather a week in
Guantanamo Bay.’

Why aren’t there
any hairdressers over fifty? Is it just
about the collapsed leg veins? - because I’d be happy to pay extra so my stylist
could get them sorted on BUPA. Visits to
a salon staffed with rake-like, glossy-haired teens do nothing for my
self-esteem. There’s something about the
way they look at me, as if thinking, ‘Why is she bothering with a trim? Surely this time next week she’ll be
embalmed.’

I need a hairdresser more my age, so she’ll understand why a
hot flush in your hall really can make you twenty minutes late for an
appointment. I need one who massages her
hip occasionally and goes ‘Ooh!’ so that when I go ‘Aah!’ as I stand up, she
won’t offer to call an ambulance. I need
one with upper lip hair so she won’t laugh in Starbucks later with her friends,
saying, ‘I swear the old hag had more growth on that lip than I’d just cut off
her fringe!’

And I demand the return of the net curtains. They may be old-fashioned, but I want a
private perm. If I’d wanted to provide
light entertainment for locals, I would do amateur dramatics.

Right. Where’s that
Ibiza brochure?

Fran left it as long as she could between visits to the salon, and in the meantime, worea most attractive headscarf which she thought flattered her facial features tremendously

Weirdly most of the male barbers I go to are the other way inclined... by which I mean they had their heyday in the 50s and are now most definitely oldies. This has a downside in that they only style they really understand is "short, back and sides". And this is what they give their patrons no matter what they ask for.

Yes, you're right, Steve! That's so weird. Most barbers do actually look much older. Maybe I'll start going to a barber instead, and just put up with the short back and sides. I never wanted to be the L'Oreal girl anyway.

Never mind , once you're really old , you'll be able to have your hair done on Pensioners Cutprice Afternoon . Nice sensible hairdos for all . Well , the same sensible hairdo for all ( think HRH ) actually , and it'll last the week .

I've wondered the same myself and then thanked my lucky stars I chose a different career path since obviously all hairdressers over 30 are prodded onto busses in the dead of night and shuttled off to some un-named spot never to return.

That is a very good solution to the problem! I would consider it, if I knew the first thing about how to cut hair. I suspect the results would have me rushing to the hairdressers for rescue no matter how young they were.

Hi, I'm river, I found you via fishducky.I put off going to the hairdresser as long as possible too, mostly because bending back into the washbasin hurts the arthritis portion of my neck. and because it is always a shock to see the whole of my face after weeks and weeks of seeing only the bits the hair hasn't been hanging in front of. I agree about the net curtains, if I'm to be an exhibit for passers by, then I should get paid.

You are SO right about the 'sudden mirror experience'. And about the net curtains. Surely there's some campaign going we can join? There must be others. Thanks for visiting, River. Nice to have you here.

About Me

I'm a writer and English teacher based in Warwickshire.

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